How old are the homes in the Town of Elma, NY?

Name: Age of homes in the Town of Elma, NY, 2020–2024
Creator: US Census Bureau
License: https://www.census.gov/data/developers/about/terms-of-service.html

66.8% (±9.6 points) of the homes in the Town of Elma, NY were built before 1980 (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

9.4% were built before 1940.

13.5% were built in 2010 or later.

Figures last updated on November 12, 2026.

Built before 1980: 66.8% (±9.6 points)
Built before 1940: 9.4%
Built 2010 or later: 13.5%

When the homes in the Town of Elma were built

Housing units by year structure built, 2020–2024
Year built	Town of Elma	Erie County	New York	United States
2020 or later	0.4% (±0.6 points)	0.6%	0.8%	2.0%
2010 to 2019	13.1% (±4.2 points)	4.4%	5.3%	9.4%
2000 to 2009	6.3% (±2.8 points)	4.9%	6.4%	13.6%
1990 to 1999	7.9% (±3.2 points)	6.3%	5.9%	12.4%
1980 to 1989	5.5% (±2.5 points)	6.9%	7.7%	12.9%
1970 to 1979	17.5% (±4.2 points)	10.4%	9.8%	14.2%
1960 to 1969	17.4% (±4.3 points)	11.4%	12.1%	9.9%
1950 to 1959	17.5% (±5.3 points)	17.6%	14.1%	9.5%
1940 to 1949	5.0% (±4.2 points)	8.0%	7.6%	4.4%
1939 or earlier	9.4% (±3.3 points)	29.4%	30.3%	11.7%

In the Town of Elma, the share of homes built before 1980 is lower than in Erie County (76.8%).

It is not measurably different from New York (73.9%).

It is higher than the national figure (49.7%).

In Erie County, the Town of Elma ranks 19 of 29 places with a published estimate, from highest to lowest share of homes built before 1980.

Statewide, it ranks 358 of 1,006.

Rankings use the estimates alone; where margins of error overlap, neighboring ranks may not truly differ.

Why the age of a home matters: lead-based paint

Federal law treats housing built before 1978 as likely to contain lead-based paint.

Before a lease or sale of most pre-1978 housing, the landlord or seller must disclose any known lead-based paint and hazards and give the tenant or buyer the EPA pamphlet (42 U.S.C. § 4852d; 40 CFR part 745, subpart F; 24 CFR part 35, subpart A).

A contractor paid to renovate, repair or paint a pre-1978 home must be a certified firm, use a certified renovator and follow lead-safe work practices under the Renovation, Repair and Painting Rule (40 CFR part 745, subpart E) whenever the job disturbs more than 6 square feet of painted surface in a room or more than 20 square feet outside; window replacement and demolition always count (40 CFR 745.83).

Certification comes from EPA, or from the state where EPA has authorized the state to run the program.

The Census Bureau groups construction by decade, so the share built before 1978 lies between the share built before 1970 (49.3%) and the share built before 1980 (66.8%).

Homes built before 1980 in places near the Town of Elma

Nearest places with a published estimate, compared with the Town of Elma
Place	Distance	Homes built before 1980	Compared with this place
Town of Elma	—	66.8% (±9.6 points)	—
Village of East Aurora	4.5 mi	82.9% (±8.4 points)	Higher
Village of Lancaster	5.1 mi	90.7% (±11.1 points)	Higher
West Seneca (community)	5.3 mi	72.6% (±4.0 points)	Not measurably different
Town of West Seneca	5.3 mi	72.6% (±4.0 points)	Not measurably different
Town of Lancaster	5.8 mi	51.3% (±3.8 points)	Lower
Town Line	5.9 mi	92.5% (±20.9 points)	Higher
Town of Marilla	6.0 mi	71.7% (±15.9 points)	Not measurably different
Town of Aurora	6.2 mi	74.3% (±7.0 points)	Not measurably different

Nearby places with a measurably lower figure: Town of Lancaster, NY (51.3%).

Nearby places with a measurably higher figure: Village of East Aurora, NY (82.9%), Village of Lancaster, NY (90.7%), Town Line, NY (92.5%).

Distance is measured in a straight line between the Census Bureau’s internal points for each place.

Homes built before 1980 across Erie County, place by place

Rank	Place	Homes built before 1980
13 (tie)	Town of Brant	71.1% (±10.8 points)
13 (tie)	Town of Eden	71.1% (±8.9 points)
15	Town of Wales	70.0% (±15.0 points)
16	Town of Sardinia	69.3% (±11.3 points)
17	Town of Holland	69.1% (±14.8 points)
18	Town of North Collins	68.7% (±10.4 points)
19	Town of Elma	66.8% (±9.6 points)
20	Town of Concord	65.9% (±8.9 points)
21	Town of Amherst	65.6% (±2.1 points)
22	Town of Hamburg	63.7% (±3.6 points)
23	Town of Colden	61.8% (±11.4 points)
24	Town of Grand Island	57.9% (±6.2 points)
25	Town of Orchard Park	57.0% (±4.7 points)

Showing 13 of 29 places in Erie County, ranked from highest to lowest.

A New York town includes the villages and hamlets inside it, so the figures for the Town of Elma include them.

The figures for the Town of Elma include the places inside it that have pages of their own: Billington Heights, Elma Center.

Survey years: 2020–2024 (American Community Survey 5-year estimates).

Margins of error are at the 90% confidence level.

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Questions about Town of Elma

How old are most homes in the Town of Elma?

66.8% of homes in the Town of Elma, NY were built before 1980 (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

Do homes in the Town of Elma need a lead paint disclosure?

A home built before 1978 does, before it is rented or sold, unless an exemption applies (42 U.S.C. § 4852d); between 49.3% and 66.8% of homes in the Town of Elma were built before then.

Does a contractor need lead certification to work on older homes in the Town of Elma?

Yes, when the job disturbs more than 6 square feet of paint in a room or 20 square feet outside, or replaces a window: the firm must be certified and a certified renovator must direct the work under the Renovation, Repair and Painting Rule (40 CFR part 745, subpart E).

Sources

Selected Housing Characteristics (DP04), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Elma town, Erie County, New York

To check these figures in the Census Bureau’s own API, request the variables below from the 2024 ACS 5-year data profile (acs/acs5/profile) for Elma town, Erie County, New York (county subdivision:24130, in state:36 county:029).

Each estimate (E or PE) has a margin of error beside it (M or PM).

The API needs a free key.

Request a Census API key.

DP04_0017PE, DP04_0017PM, DP04_0018PE, DP04_0018PM, DP04_0019PE, DP04_0019PM, DP04_0020PE, DP04_0020PM, DP04_0021PE, DP04_0021PM, DP04_0022PE, DP04_0022PM, DP04_0023PE, DP04_0023PM, DP04_0024PE, DP04_0024PM, DP04_0025PE, DP04_0025PM, DP04_0026PE, DP04_0026PM

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.

Figures are published by the US Census Bureau, HUD, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the FBI; Seayora reproduces them and does not adjust them, except where a sentence says it compares dollar figures after inflation. They describe the whole place, not any one building or street, and are not an appraisal, a rent determination, a tax bill, a safety rating or legal advice.